New Ambassador to China Dies in Tokyo — Found lying unconscious on street — Official: Death had “nothing to do with any accident or anti-Japanese demonstrations”

Incoming envoy Shinichi Nishimiya, 60, was hospitalized on Sept. 13, the ministry said at the time. Nishimiya collapsed and lost consciousness near his Tokyo home, Kyodo News reported, without saying where it got the information.

Shinichi Nishimiya, Japan’s newly named ambassador to China, died Sunday at a Tokyo hospital, Kyodo News reported quoting government sources. He was 60.

[...]

The cause of his death had not been determined, but Nishimiya had collapsed in his home near Tokyo last Thursday just two days after he had been named the new envoy to China. He had hospitalized since then. Police had ruled out any play, Kyodo said.

Nishimiya collapsed on a sidewalk near his home in central Tokyo on Thursday and had been undergoing treatment.

He appeared to be exhausted after a recent series of overseas trips earlier this month, including preparations for a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vladivostok, Russia, a Foreign Ministry official said.

The newly appointed Japanese envoy to China died in a Tokyo hospital Sunday, officials said, ruling out any link to growing anti-Japan protests in Chinese cities over an escalating territorial row.

[...]

“Ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya died in a hospital,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. The death had “nothing to do with any accident or anti-Japanese demonstrations” in China, a foreign ministry official told AFP.

Shinichi Nishiyama, 60, was found collapsed on a street in Tokyo on Thursday morning but died in hospital on Sunday. Police in Japan have ruled out foul play but hospital authorities have yet to confirm the cause of Nishiyama’s death.

21 comments to New Ambassador to China Dies in Tokyo — Found lying unconscious on street — Official: Death had “nothing to do with any accident or anti-Japanese demonstrations”

This is very sad. If he had done a lot of flying, he was exposed to a lot of radiation, in addition to the radiation in Japan. Also, if it was a long flight (e.g.,to Russia), and he didn't get up enough and walk, he could have developed a blood clot which could have migrated. Radiation definitely harms the circulatory system, the nervous system, and the heart.

It *is* very sad – it's also unsettling. I'm not considering foul play – just thinking about the heated territorial quarrel between Japan and China that's very recently taken a turn for the worse:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/11/us-japan-china-idUSBRE88A0GY20120911, "Japan buys disputed islands, China sends patrol ships". In light of Fukushima and other nuclear distresses in Japan, it's easy to imagine their interest in the islands, and the territory has apparently historically been in utter dispute and China has "rained warnings on Japan in the wake of the island purchase announcement." From the Reuter's article it appears different factions within China are reacting with different levels of "warnings", (some *very* aggressive in tone, others less so.)

From general reading I've done recently without digging into it – China sees the move as part of a growing "western militarization move" to surround China, (as per US activity that strongly points to just that.)

Maggie, your probably right, but isn't the American economy threatened as all manufacturing, a lot of it anyways, is now in China? And everybody shops at Wallmart and the like filled with Chinese goods. High quality expensive stuff too, like Ipods name brand clothes etc all made in China.
Robust Chinese economy vs USA poor performance lots of unemployment economy. In Vancouver lots of jobs unloading Chinese containers and distributing them out few good paying manufacturing jobs. Those have been shipped off seas. We ship out raw logs and it comes back as IKEA furniture. Feel Canadian and American governments are letting China rape us.

Mark, I do my best to buy American. I am distressed that often there is NOTHING but Chinese goods in our stores. Someone needs to answer for this…Clinton? Bush? Obama? All three have shipped our jobs overseas via their world trade agreements. I am anxious to see the autopsy. I hope it is conducted at home.

What was he being treated for? What medications was he on? It appears to me that it is medical foul play. However, I would not rule out the tap water. Three stage water filters are required in Tokyo. Membrane, activated carbon, and calcium filters.

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